Low Member Engagement is not Necessarily a Sign of Unhappiness

Parent involvement varies widely in schools. Some parents attend the parent-teacher meetings. Some parents fundraise and chaperone field trips. Some parents spend hours each week on leading the PTA.

The parent who is minimally involved might be just as happy about their involvement and with the school overall as the parents who are extensively involved.

Members mirror these same feelings. Members are most satisfied when they are allowed to engage at the level they want to engage at. Some feel pressure maybe even guilt to become more engaged and members say they do not like that. Some members aspire to participate more but run into barriers and they do not like that either. Rather, members like to pick their level of engagement. Their level of engagement depends on all the other competing demands on their time and attention as well as the perceived value of increasing their engagement.

In recent interviews with association executives, many said how they define member engagement depends on the individual member. There is no one definition of member engagement. Instead, these associations categorized levels of engagement under titles like mailbox member, growth member, and super engaged member. Knowing that not every member wants or needs to be more engaged they use the categories to target select members who are likely to move up the ladder.

Try segmenting your members by engagement levels. Look at the data over time. Are there segments within which the members move up in their engagement behavior? Identify these high potential members and help them move up the ladder. This way your members can engage in at the level they want to be engaged. Not too little, not too much.